Use of mechanical ventilation in adults with severe asthma
Dales, R.E.; Munt, P.W.
Canadian Medical Association Journal 130(4): 391-395
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4409 PMID: 6362813 Document Number: 233304
Asthma severe enough to require intubation and mechanical ventilation is associated with a mortality rate of about 10%. Therapeutic modalities are ever-changing and at times controversial. This paper provides an update on such modalities and presents, in a step-wise fashion, those most appropriate for practical patient care. The timing of intubation and the methods used to control airway patency, arterial pH and gas levels, and hemodynamic status are crucial to the success of therapy. Finally, conventional and disputed methods of bronchodilation are outlined.